Knox County mayor candidate arrested in California

Knox County mayoral candidate Rhonda “Mousie” Gallman is being held in a California jail on $100,000 bond after being arrested as arrested in Los Angeles on charges of preventing a witness from testifying in court, reports the News Sentinel.

She was arrested Wednesday, the same day she posted several Facebook Live videos to her personal page. In the videos she was going to court to see her son, Jamal. The Facebook Live video said her location was Compton, California.

She is currently being held at the Century Regional Detention Facility, an all-female jail, in Lynwood, California. A GoFundMe page was set up for Gallman’s travels to visit her son in California in January.

Gallman is one of two Democrats seeking to succeed Tim Burchett, who is term-limited and running for Congress, as county mayor. Linda Haney is the other Democrat candidate while Brad Anders, Glenn Jacobs and Bob Thomas are running as Republicans.

“This campaign is going to be beautiful. I’m going to bring so much excitement,” Gallman said Thursday night, Feb. 15, during the 5DD monthly meeting in Rosarita’s Mexican Cantina off Lovell Road. “Not only am I making history as being a black woman running for Knox County Mayor, my team is going to make history.

“I want you guys to welcome us — and I want you to dissect me like a frog,” she added. “I believe in my heart I’m going to win, I really do.”

Nicknamed “Mousey,” which she embraced during the speech, Gallman said before throwing her hat into the ring, “I prayed about it. I was advised by my [campaign] team to be who I am … I asked everyone on my team to fast and pray before they gave me their final answer” to join the campaign.

“I’m on Facebook right now, and I use that as my platform,” she added. “I ask a thousand questions, and I am a very good listener. … I search for your heart.”

Concerned for the welfare of children, “We have become so consumed with ourselves, we are fighting and chasing for success, that we are leaving all the children behind,” Gallman said.